Love Eternal
by BlackRoseLuna
Summary: A girl named Kendra finds herself entering a world she believed didn't exist. In this world, there are mutants with no humanity left while others have their humanity, each one is unique. Within her recount of the past month, Kendra gradually finds herself falling in love with Creed, an assassin. Will they survive or will they have to find each other again in another life?


Love Eternal

By: Black Rose

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

It was a particularly dark night, the moon was full and the sky wasn't quite empty. The streets below were covered with endless shadows, only the moon gave off light. A solitary figure ran through the empty streets effortlessly, looking around frantically for someone.

Then a menacing laugh caught his attention, he looked to the sky. Then he saw them… A large fat man with bumpy, rubbery skin was floating through the sky. On his shoulder was a teen girl with long braided hair.

'**In case you're wondering, the guy in the streets is Creed, my guardian and my lover. I didn't know that at first though. Perhaps I should start at the beginning… It all started about a month ago. My name is Kendra, I'll be turning twenty soon. I have long silvery red hair, unnatural ice blue eyes and fair skin. I live in a rundown town in the country. I currently live with my mother, Darlene, and my six year old brother, John. But enough of this, I'm here to tell you my story… It all began on a dark storming night.**'

There was a storm brewing outside, I was sound asleep, then lightning flashed and thunder boomed; shaking the house and waking my little brother with a start. Then there was a knock at the door, which was strange because it was three a.m. John ran into my room, scared, and tried to shake me awake.

"Wake up! Kena, wake up! Kena, Kena!" he started shouting my name in a chant as he shook me.

I was starting to get annoyed with him. "What?!" I snapped angrily.

"There's someone at the door…" he replied shyly.

"Then go wake mom and let me sleep!" I looked over at the clock and saw it was way past midnight.

"She's still at work… 'Member?"

With a groaning sigh, I got out of bed. Another knock sounded at the door as I turned some lights on, then headed for the kitchen with a baseball bat in my hands.

"Who's there?!" I shouted towards the door. "I'm armed!"

There was no reply, just another knock on the door. I turned the kitchen light on and raised my bat, heading for the door. Once I was across the kitchen by the door, I unlocked it and slowly opened it, bat at the ready.

Lightning flashed again to reveal a handsome teenage boy. He was obviously new in town, his clothes looked travel worn and muddy. He had jet black hair and gorgeous emerald eyes, fair skinned.

He started to walk into the kitchen like I wasn't even there! I bared his way with the bat.

"Hey Darlene, it's been… awhile…" he trailed off when he looked at the bat and followed it till he was looking right into my eyes. "Well hello there beautiful." He smiled.

I glared at him, hoping he couldn't hear my heart pounding. "How do you know my mother?"

He closed the door behind him. "We were friends once… May I have a cup of tea by the fire miss?" he inquired.

"It's Kendra." I said flatly and then looked towards the hall I came from. "John, go back to bed." I didn't want him to be involved in something that could endanger him, not that I cared all that much…

John disappeared from sight; his footsteps could be heard retreating down the hall before his door closed behind him. I looked back at the stranger, my bat still rose.

He chuckled and put a hand on the bat to lower it. "Honestly… What has your mother taught you? If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it already." His tone was condescending, it was creeping me out… Though I stood my ground.

I forced the bat to stay where it was. "One can never be too careful in such dangerous times…" I prayed that he couldn't tell I was shaking slightly…

"As you wish." He shrugged and lowered his hand to pick up his bag. "All the same, may I have a cup of tea by the fire? It's rather chilly outside." I raised my eyebrow and thought. _'What is his problem? I shouldn't have even let him inside; well that shows how dumb I can be sometimes. I hope he doesn't try to hurt me or John. I'll have to let him know whose boss and soon…'_

With a sigh, I went over to a cupboard and got a couple cups and put a pot of tea on. I turned back to the stranger. "Make yourself at… home…" I was irritated now; he didn't even wait for me to say anything! The jerk! He took MY spot on the couch after turning the fireplace on. I didn't know why I let him in anyways… Maybe it was the strange feeling of somehow knowing him that made me do it.

'**Now, the thing about my house is that it looks weird on the inside… It's a one story house above ground with a one room basement. The kitchen is on the right/left of the door and the living room is opposite of the kitchen. The kitchen, being huge with padded yellow designed flooring with the fridge, stove and cupboards lining it along three walls. Just before the living room is a wall that went across only half the opening, most of the wall comes up to waist height and enough of a ledge to temporarily sit dishes on when needed. Just before this wall is a small counter with a microwave on it and enough room for the machine Creed gets later on.**'

**In the far corner is a normal sized fireplace with white trimming around it. On the same wall the door is on, there is a normal sized window with brown satin curtains on either side of it, which are always covering the window in the evening. Just below the window is the TV on a small stand with the couch on the opposite wall by the fire place, a lazy boy chair was against the waist height, half wall.**'

I glared furiously at him and so intently that I almost let the tea boil over. He looked at me and smiled, I swear my face was as red as a tomato from my rage that I pointedly turned to pour the tea. Then I walked into the living room with the cups 'till I stood over him. I continued to glare at him as I silently offered him a cup.

"Thank you." He took the cup and took a sip, seemingly oblivious to my glare. Then he looked at me. "Is there a problem?"

"You're sitting in my spot…" I said in an irritated voice.

He patted his lap. "You're more than welcome to sit here." His smile broadened when I blushed. "My lap is only slightly damp now."

I pointed the baseball bat at him and took a sip of tea to calm my nerves, continuing the glare at him. My arm was now shaking with anger and embarrassment.

Then it happened, I haven't a clue what came over me. My cup of tea fell to the floor and broke the mug. My eyes felt heavy and closed, then I started to fall forward and felt something… someone? ... Catch me. That's all I remember before I blacked out.

'**I really didn't know what had happened to me that night... I know it wasn't the tea because I was standing next to the pot but when I stood in Creed's presence... it felt like something deep inside me snapped.**'

When I woke up, it was morning and I had a headache like you wouldn't believe! It felt like I had been out all night drinking, which I hadn't since I was babysitting my pain in the butt brother. I could hear voices in the kitchen, then small footsteps go down the hall. I forced myself to sit up and look around me… Why was I in my room? How did I even get here?... The stranger! I jumped out of bed, rushed out of my room and burst into the kitchen just after John, my head was pounding so hard that I could hardly see through my eyes.

"Kendra! What are you doing out of bed?" that was my mom. Was she really at home? I can imagine her eating toast, drinking coffee and reading the morning newspaper. Then I remembered that it was the weekend, she didn't have to work today.

"Mom!" I could hardly find the words so I probably sounded incoherent but I didn't care. "There was a stranger at our door and… and…" My vision returned to being face to face with the stranger. I took a few steps back and looked for my bat. "What is HE still doing here?"

I found the bat by the counter, near where I usually keep it. Once it was in hand, I pointed it towards the stranger, ready to beat him to a pulp. I didn't understand why I felt cornered when I had a whole hall to run down, I could escape from a window if I had to.

"HE is here to be your guardian…" my mother stated flatly, in her matter of fact tone that she gets when she's not amused.

I dropped my bat, surprised. "Wh-what?" I was speechless and I didn't know where to look. First I looked at my mother, then at the stranger and finally at the floor. I felt defeated, confused and betrayed by my mother. Shouldn't she be telling me important things like this!? Especially before we meet him in person!?

He chuckled. "It's not the end of the world y'know." He grabbed a piece of toast off the table and walked outside.

I leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. Why did that jerk make me feel so uncomfortable? Was it the small feeling of somehow knowing him or was it something else? Either way, he was JUST a typical teenage boy I could beat up with a baseball bat.

In two days it would be Monday; it had been only a couple days since the stranger came to town. Since it was the weekend, I had made plans with Wenry and Wendy to meet me at the mall. At least that was my cover story. Even though I needed a serious reality check and who better to turn to than close friends? I knew them practically my whole life. I made sandwiches with bacon, mustard and ketchup then wrapped them up and was out the door.

"Kendra, be back before dark!" my mother shouted after me.

"Yeah, yeah!" I shouted back, picking up a bat from the garage and strapped it to my back. In truth, I wasn't going to the mall; I was going to my secret place. The place my mother knew nothing about, MY personal training grounds. I had to keep fit, especially now that a stranger was staying with us.

'**Little did I know about the world I was about to enter unknowingly. A world of strange mutations, powers; when I first entered this world… I didn't know that my weakness would be what I experienced when I first met Creed; nor did I know that this weakness was going to be my downfall…**'

As I pulled into some light brush to tie my bike up, I felt a small presence in my mind like I was being watched. Thinking little of it, I entered the forest and headed pretty deep until I came to a rocky outcropped clearing. On one side of the clearing was a cooler filled with energy drinks and different flavored tea, it was always on the ground and sealed with chains and locks. Aside from that one small area for breaks, the clearing was filled with dangers that would kill anyone if they didn't know what to expect. Even though I knew what to expect since I designed various traps and hazards, it was always a surprise to test my reflexes and my limits.

To start off, I ran a few laps around the clearing, and then I started with the practice dummies. I taught myself how to block attacks here and I was teaching myself to be faster with my attacks. Little did I know that the stranger was watching my moves from the cover of some bushes and trees. It was like I zoned out once I started, focusing only on the task in front of me. I would be working on observation after a short break around noon before taking the rest of the day to train more before heading home. Though I would clean myself up and make it look like I had actually went to the mall with my friends. Though at some point, I would need to start learning to be observant while fighting… It could help out in the future.

After quite a few hours, I looked at the position of the sun to learn the time. It was roughly 10:30am, in about half an hour I would take a break for about an hour. So to kill time, I ran more laps around the clearing, passing the stranger's hiding place several times before I stopped by the cooler, almost out of breath and took out a key from a hidden place in a nearby tree and unlocked the locks on the chains and got into the cooler. Looking inside I found that I would need to go shopping to replenish my snack supplies, took out one of the remaining snacks and a cool thermos and poured myself a cup of juice. I also took out the bacon and toast sandwiches to eat, taking about half an hour to eat everything I had out and wash it down with juice. Afterwards, I put the juice back into the cooler, relocked the cooler and put the key away.

To help my stomach digest, I took out a harmonica and played a few tunes before checking the suns position again. So, I put the harmonica away and began my observation exercises. That's when I noticed I was being watched, so I looked in the stranger's direction and squinted my eyes.

"You can come out now…" I said, exasperated as I unstrapped the bat from my back.

He came out from behind the trees and out of the bushes casually. "Oh, I didn't know you were here…"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Put the bat down before you get hurt…"

"I don't know what story you filled my mother's head with but I don't need a babysitter! So why don't you go back to wherever the heck you came from and leave me alone!?" I glared at him, pinning my recent anger on this stranger.

He sighed, now that I could see him properly... I noticed that he was wearing the suitable attire for assassins, loose-fitting and easy to move around in clothes that were all black in color. I couldn't help but stare as he took off a leather jacket and tossed it aside. "Don't say I didn't warn you Kendra..." There was a hard edge in his emerald eyes that wasn't there before, I don't think I've ever felt so afraid in my life. If only my cursed pride would let me run away but I had a reputation to uphold.

He stood at the ready now and I did the same, we waited several minutes just staring at one another. We studied each other from head to toe as if assessing weaknesses to use against the other in order to win. '_I can't let him in my head... or I'll most likely lose. I can't spot any weaknesses to use against him... He can't be completely flawless!' _Suddenly, he charged and faked a punch to the right. I ducked just in time, his left hand was so fast I couldn't see it. I jabbed with my bat in an attempt to cripple him temporarily, he jumped clear and landed only a few feet away. '_HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!'_ I got back to my feet and we started the waiting game all over again, circling each other as if we were in a wrestling ring.

"Very good, light on your toes and alert. Prepared offensive when defence doesn't work..." he spoke approvingly even though he had just made a killing blow only moments ago. '_What is he playing at!? This is no time to be checking out my reflexes and strategies... He's making it a kill or be killed situation!'_ Though I couldn't help but smile at the compliment. With blinding speed, he charged again. This time, I had no time to block or dodge, the bat was flung out of my hand and I felt his arm wrap around me in such a way that I couldn't use my arms. My head was on his shoulder and I felt something sharp rest against my throat, I closed my eyes tight. '_Is this how I die? Young and unable to fight back...'_ I lost control of my breathing and my heart started pounding.

The next thing I know, I'm being pushed away and land on my hands and knees. My reputation was shattered in an instant, I was no longer the feared teenage girl that the guys ran away from. "Now you know... Don't pick a fight with me unless you want to die." Once again, I blacked out but luckily I didn't have a long fall to look forward to.

When I woke up, I thought I heard a voice inside my head... '**_Kendra, the time is drawing near._**' It sounded like a whisper, like a faded thought. I looked puzzled and tried to sit up but hands pushed me back down, I forced my eyes to focus on the face that was almost next to mine. "About time you woke up... How do you feel?" It was the stranger's smooth but deep voice, all I could manage as a response was a faint groan. Then I rolled over so I didn't have to look at him.

'**What I didn't know then was that the voice I heard in my head was the voice of the spirits living inside my body... I spent many days in bed after that, pondering on what the voice meant and experimenting. I wanted to talk to this voice if I could but no matter how much I tried, the voice was dead silent. I called them "The Days of Silence." Creed knew what I was going through but said nothing, then again, I didn't trust him enough to ask him. I wanted to learn about it on my own.**'

**Chapter 2 The Challenge**

Shortly after hearing the voice in my head, I fell into a deep sleep. During this time, I felt like I was burning up... '_What's happening to me?_' I woke for short amounts of time to eat, drink or use the bathroom. Aside from that, I slept the rest of school break away. I woke up on the first day of school in two weeks and didn't feel quite my usual self today, I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready but didn't bring any fresh clothes with me, and my room was practically across the hall. I took a quick shower, dried off and brushed my teeth, then I ran across the hall to my room and closed the door.

I got dressed and brushed my hair for a few moments to dry it, then tied my hair back. I walked out of my room and rubbed sleep out of my eyes, I couldn't believe I slept most of vacation away! When I got to the kitchen, I thought that maybe it was all just a bad dream until I saw him sitting at the table across from John. Instead of muttering a 'morning' like I usually do, I pointedly stayed quiet and sat at my usual place. Ate some breakfast, drank a glass of milk and was out the door with my school bag.

"Did I say something to offend her?..." the stranger asked

John just shook his head and shrugged, eating his bowl of cereal happily and making as much noise as he could. My mother sat at the head of the table with the morning newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. "With her, it's hard to tell."

"I see... Well, I have something to pick up in town. My employer sent a package for me a few days ago, so it should be in" He got up from the table after finishing his breakfast and went outside. '_This family doesn't get along very well... Darlene doesn't seem as worried as she should be about Kendra, she worries more about John.'_

I was waiting with my friends at our regular bus stop, we were going to River Hail, that's the high school we attend. We're nearing the end of our second year. Only another three months to go until summer vacation, then another three until school starts back up again in the fall. When the bus came, we got on and sat in our usual seats at the back of the bus, the usual bullies were picking on a kid. I cleared my throat loud enough to silence the entire bus, the bullies looked at me and I gave them the 'Death Glare' to show I wasn't in the mood for their idiocy today. They gulped and sat facing the front; the driver gave me a nod, which I returned.

The bus ride was roughly half an hour before we got to the high school. My friend's and I went through our usual routine, went to our lockers, got out our books and binders for the morning classes and met outside the library. We waited for the librarian to open it up so we could sit down and have a quiet discussion; I knew they wanted to learn why I wasn't so active during vacation.

I told them mostly everything in a whispered voice, though I left out quite a few details. Especially how I got my butt kicked by a guy and that I felt really weird. When I finished, I figured they would ask questions but I guess I didn't give them the chance to. The bell rang and we rushed off to home room, then to classes half an hour later. The school day was boring, as I expected. I couldn't wait to get home to relax and sit by the fireplace. It was the only thing that got me through the day. When I put my binders and things in my locker, I found a note.

I didn't bother reading it just now; I wanted to go home, so I slipped it into my pocket and headed outside for the bus. I was sitting alone at the back of the bus today; my friends were probably going to be a little late. I took out the note and read:

_Kendra,_

_I know where you live. If you want to keep your house from burning down, I suggest you meet me down town at Pier 13 before sunset._

_XX_

'_Could they be more obvious? This is obviously a challenge._' If I had known better, I would have burned the note as soon as I got home but my pride wouldn't allow it. Once challenged, I had to follow through or risk losing my hard earned reputation altogether. I stuffed the note back into my pocket as I saw more students file in to go home. My friends didn't show, I started to get worried as the doors were starting to close, so I got off the bus and headed back inside to find them.

"I won't say it again... Give me your student ID!" I didn't know who was talking but they didn't sound friendly, I guessed that it was the 'hot shot' bully that everyone feared. Well, almost everyone.

"N-no..." that was Wenry's voice.

"Why do you have to be so mean!?" typical Wendy!

"Why don't you just hand over your IDs and you can leave?" the bully countered.

Just then, I walked into the scene. "Why don't YOU just walk away like a good little boy instead of showing us how much of a girl you really are?" I was standing right behind a spikey red haired teenage boy that wore gothic clothing, when he turned around, I could see he had lip piercings and a nose piercing. His eyes were a dark brown and his skin looked overly pale. "Ugh... While you're at it, why don't you go get a tan at the beach like a normal person?"

"How about you mind your own business miss Anti-Boys?" he sneered.

I laughed. "You'll have to do better than that Vampire Goth... oh wait.. I meant to say Vampiress Goth." I grinned. My friend's giggled and suddenly the bully lost his cool. "Aw, what's the matter Vampiress? Suddenly not so tough now that there're three of us?"

He lunged at me; I dodged to the left and tripped him. Once he was down, I sat on his back. "HELP! GET OFF ME! HELP!"

I leaned forward and whispered in his ear menacingly. "Next time you pick on my friends... You'll be having BAT Hot Dogs with me, do I make myself clear?"

He nodded and I let him up. "I'll get you for this!" With that, he ran off.

I walked to the buses with my friends, we were just in time. The ride home didn't seem quite as long as it did in the morning. Once we were off the bus, I invited my friend's over for supper and walked them to my place. They knew what that meant, I got a challenge. We ate in silence; the stranger wasn't in sight so I assumed that he had left. Just as I was starting to enjoy myself, he walked through the door carrying some kind of contraption in a box.

He stopped short of the table, sat the box down beside the half wall and looked at the table to see me and a couple other girls. "Well, hello there lovelies." He winked at me. My friends giggled, clearly falling for him at first sight.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to relax now. "Excuse me..." I pointedly got up from the table and sat my dishes in the sink, then grabbed my bat and headed for the door. I purposely bumped my shoulder against his and shot him a cold glare as I opened the door, then I was out of the house and heading down town.

He looked concerned and confused. "What was that about?..." he muttered to herself.

My friend's clearly heard him. Wendy cleared her throat. "You must be the visitor we heard so much about... I'm Wendy and this is Wenry" She pointed to herself and Wenry in turn. "Don't worry too much about that... She got a challenge after school today."

"A challenge?" His face went hard and unreadable. '_What kind of challenges does she get at school? Who challenges her and why?'_

"Yeah... She gets them all the time from the same guy. We don't know his name but he hates the reputation she has..."

"Reputation?"

Wenry chuckled; clearly she thought he would know enough about me by now to know about my reputation. "She goes around beating up all the teenage boys... Especially if they tick her off or mess with her friends. Every girl in the area respects her and calls on her for help whenever they're in trouble with a guy... Like, really bad sort of trouble. Every guy in the area hates her and fears her."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, the guy signs his challenges with XX. It's really weird..." Wendy said. "We worry about her sometimes because if she gets hurt, she doesn't show up at school for days on end... So we make sure she keeps caught up with her classes and stuff."

"Hmm, I see... Does she ever tell you where she meets this 'XX' guy?"

"Nope, can't say that she does... She invites us over for a meal every time she gets a challenge. It's like she expects it to be her last meal or something, then we just hang out in the living room and relax before she has to go."

"What happens when she comes back?"

"She never lets on if she's injured or not. She thanks us for coming over and invites us to stay for the night or walks us home. We just keep an eye on her the best we can. She doesn't want us to get involved."

"I see... I'll be back in a few, I think I saw some carrots ready to be pulled from the garden" With that, he was out the door.

"He's strange..."

Wenry winked. "Cute but definitely strange." They giggled and finished eating.

Meanwhile, I was almost to the bridge when I felt someone following me. I didn't look behind me and kept walking. Once I was across the bridge, I broke into a jog and turned down the nearest ally, hiding in the shadows of the closest wall. Someone passed by, looked at the shadows but kept going straight. Once the person was out of sight, I left the shadows and backed out of the ally. Then I continued towards the piers.

As I neared Pier 13, I heard something behind me, I turned around and squinted my eyes in the hopes to see better. "Anybody there?" I don't think I sounded scared but others might think differently. Well, they would if there had been a crowd. I saw a shadow flash by beside me; I flung around again with my bat swinging as I turned.

The stranger caught the bat a few seconds before it collided with the side of his head. "You should be more careful around here... This place isn't very safe at night."

"What are you doing here?" I glared at him and let my bat slip to my side.

"Does it matter? I'm here and that's all that matters." He smiled.

"Well... Go away; I don't want you to interfere!" I moved to walk around him, bumping my shoulder against his as I passed and went into Pier 13. The sun was just sinking below the horizon as I walked into the warehouse of Pier 13. "Alright, I'm here! Show yourself!"

A lone figure came out from behind some crates. He wore a goth looking jacket that came up to just past the tip of his nose, his hair was black and his eyes were hazel brown and creamy colored skin. "I see you haven't come alone..." His voice sounded cold and raspy. "Why don't you ask your friend to come inside too?"

"Tch, he isn't my friend..." I raised my bat. "Are we going to do this or not?"

"Very well then…" He sounded amused.

We stood at the ready; my bat was raised in front of me. I knew he would use the same strategy as last time, he always did. That's why I felt confident enough to be able to beat him once more. We charged each other, what I didn't count on was that he was adding speed to the fight. I had a suspicion that he was training me for something but the question was… What was he training me for?

He faked a kick to the head and went for the stomach instead; I jumped clear and brought the bat down hard. He slipped out of range so my bat came down on the cement floor, cracking it.

He took that moment to make a punch to my shoulder, making me fall. I was quick to recover though; as he made a jump kick towards me, I rolled clear and was on my feet again within seconds. Then he landed, jarring his legs; I took that moment to swing the bat.

Just before the bat collided with his shoulder, my body felt like it had shut down and I was drawn into a deep void somewhere inside myself. My voice echoed slightly as I spoke. "_Enough! This is not the time to be drawing attention to this body! Quit this foolishness at once…_"

The man I was fighting gasped. "The highest ancients?" His voice sounded quite muffled, like there were several barriers between us, so I couldn't really make out what he said.

"_I will not reveal anything to the likes of you! Stop attracting danger to our vessel or there WILL be consequences._"

Then I was in control of my own body once more. I placed a hand on my head ; I felt dizzy and I had a headache; it hurt. I groaned a complaint to myself as the bat came down harmlessly. '_Dammit, what happened? I was just about to win too…_'

When I looked around, I was alone so I guessed that I won the fight. I walked out of the warehouse and started heading home, pondering what had happened. I didn't even notice the stranger walking beside me, he was so silent. Though I could feel his gaze on me from time to time, maybe he was wondering what I was thinking.

'**Again, I didn't know what was happening to me. When my body shut down for the first time, I didn't know it was somehow connected to the voice I had heard in my head. I shudder to remember what it felt like. It was like all my senses failed me in an instant and I was in a dormant sleep. It was weird and I hated it.**'

When we got home, I entered the house alone and put the bat away in its usual place. Wendy and Wenry were waiting on the couch and waved me over. I sat down in my usual spot by the fireplace to warm up, shaking the weird feeling off. We watched a movie after they called their parents, they were staying the night.

When the stranger came into the house, he sat in the chair to watch the movie with us but I could feel his gaze on me most of the time. I met his gaze only once and that was to give him a warning glare, then my attention went back to the movie. Afterwards, my friends and I went to my room for the rest of the night.

"So…" began Wenry. "Spill!"

"What?" I sat at my desk and started to do my homework.

"You and mister handsome." Wendy said. "You didn't say that he was good looking and has gorgeous eyes!"

I shot them a glance. "What are you talking about? I don't like him… My life is going downhill because of him!"

"Not that we've seen," Wenry teased. "Has he kissed you yet?"

"WHAT!?" If I had been drinking something, it would have been sprayed across my desk and on the wall right now. Though I kept my cheeks hidden from view. "How can you even ask that?"

They giggled. "Oh, come on! He's obviously worried about you!"

I said nothing, focusing all my attention on my homework. I didn't even notice that they went quiet all of a sudden after all their bickering about the stranger staying in my house.

What caught my attention was a piece of paper being slipped in front of me as I was getting ready to put my books away. I looked over my shoulder and saw my friends crashed out on the floor in sleeping bags, sound asleep. So, I looked at the piece of paper to find it was a note.

_Kendra,_

_Meet me in the guest room in 10 minutes please. We need to talk…_

_CX_

I was puzzled but I figured I knew who it was from, the stranger. So, I snuck out of the room quietly and made for the bathroom. After doing my business, I headed for the guest room. No one answered when I knocked, I was a couple minutes early, so I opened the door and walked in. The room was dark but I could see that the stranger had no shirt on.

I quickly turned around so I faced the hallway and cleared my throat. "S-sorry… Should I come back?"

He chuckled and I could feel his chest against my back as he reached around me to close the door. "It's fine." He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Do I make you nervous?"

I swallowed silently and pushed him away. "Haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

When I looked at him, he looked like he was amused. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" he countered.

"I did knock… It's your fault for not answering." I glared at him; I couldn't help the blush forming on my cheeks and prayed it was dark enough not to notice.

He sat on the bed and motioned to the chair at the desk, he was silent until I was seated. "You know I can help you, right?"

"What are you talking about? Why on earth would I want your help?" My words sounded harsher than I intended them. '_Wait, don't I want to sound harsh?_'

He frowned. "You know very well what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't. I'm just a normal teenage high school student… Nothing more…" I guess I was trying to convince myself of this fact.

He got up and crossed the distance between us. I looked away but he rested his hand on my cheek and made me look him in the eyes. Now I could see what Wendy was talking about, his eyes were gorgeous… '_W-wait… What am I thinking?_' I couldn't stop myself from swallowing again and I swear my heart was pounding hard against my ribs. Though I couldn't bring myself to look away again. Wait, was he moving closer to me!?

"Wh-what are you doing?"

He didn't speak, keeping his gaze locked on mine as if looking for something. I don't think he found what he was looking for but I could feel his warm breath on my lips and I flinched away from him.

"Do you trust me?" He seemed to be a little hurt.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" I retorted. '_Oops, was that out loud?_'

He chuckled before he moved away. "I told you before… If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already."

I didn't know why my stomach was twisting uncomfortably. My heart was still pounding, even long after he had returned to sitting on the bed. Though he suddenly looked distant and a bit crest fallen.

I stood and headed for the door, I managed to get it open when his hand came into view and pushed the door closed again. "Wait…"

When I turned to face him, I could feel the heat of his body through my clothes. I looked into his pleading eyes and my stomach started twisting again. "What?"

"I…" He sighed and looked away; he was standing pretty close to me, our bodies almost touching. His hand dropped to his side again, so I figured he didn't really have anything else to say.

I turned away from him again. As I went to open the door, I felt his arms wrap around me and drew me close to him. I could feel his heart pounding almost as hard as mine was, he whispered in my ear. "I want to protect you… I worked long and hard to get here. That machine I picked up today was a condition for me to be here."

"Why are you telling me this?"

He didn't give me an answer, his arms were at his sides again and I left the room. I couldn't believe how much my stomach was twisting, I felt like I was going to be sick. I slipped back into my room, changed into my pajamas and went to bed.

The next day I woke up coughing. '_Great. Second day of school and I'm already taking a sick day. How lovely is that?_' I propped myself on my elbows and almost instantly fell back down again. Wendy and Wenry were already awake but they weren't in my room. They must have gone to the kitchen to eat.

The door started to open; I rolled onto my side so my back was to it. Someone sat down and placed a hand on my forehead, whoever it was didn't say anything and left the room. I heard footsteps enter the kitchen and then voices. I forced myself to sit up, that was a mistake. I was so dizzy that the room looked like it was spinning; I closed my eyes to get rid of the image.

My head was pounding as I stood and headed for the door. In the hall, I had to use the wall for support as I headed for the kitchen. Maybe I'd feel better after I ate something. Even the kitchen looked like it was spinning; I was so disoriented this morning. The stranger looked at me with disapproval.

Wendy and Wenry didn't really notice me yet though, I stood by the wall for another few moments and then crossed to the kitchen. I plopped into my usual chair rather hard and grabbed a piece of toast. I didn't look at anyone; I couldn't really focus on faces today.

"Morning." Said Wendy.

"Morning…" I mumbled, nibbling on my toast.

"You ok?" asked Wenry.

I shrugged, not trusting myself. I finished my toast and left the kitchen. Once I was in my room, I went back to bed.

"What's the matter with her?" asked Wendy with concern.

The stranger cleared his throat. "She's not feeling well…"

"How did she get sick? She wasn't gone very long last night."

He shrugged. "Probably from being out last night at all… It was kind of chilly." Wendy and Wenry looked worried. "Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be feeling better within the next couple days."

**Chapter 3: Shopping**

Wenry made sure to bring me homework so I could keep caught up in my classes for three days, including the day I got sick. Sure enough, I felt like my old self by the end of the third day and I was really hungry. After having three helpings, I retired to my room to do homework.

When I was finished, I put my books away and climbed into bed. I slept soundly enough, I guess. It was one of those blank dreams where it's static at first and then starts becoming a dream.

_I was running through the night, trying to get away from something. When I looked behind me, nothing was there so I stopped to catch my breath. Only, I wasn't just hearing my breathing. When I turned around to see what was there, I was standing face to face with three beasts._

_One looked like a giant fox, one a dragon and the other looked like some kind of bird that was on fire. My breath caught in my throat, when I was able to breathe again… I screamed._

_ "__Silence human!" said the bird._

_ "__Calm down." Said the dragon_

_ "__I think we're scaring her…" said the fox. "Perhaps we should change into our other forms."_

_In a flash of red, purple and black; the three beasts looked more human. One had fox features, another had dragon features and the third had an air of fire. I was sitting on my knees now, struggling for breath._

_The fox lady kneeled in front of me. "We mean you no harm Kendra… None of us can cause you any harm. We are the spirits residing within you." She explained._

_ "__Wh-who are you? Wh-what do you want with me?"_

_Now all three women were kneeling in front of me. I could feel my heart pounding and I looked around. Only thick black fog surrounded me and these women, I realized I was trapped. I turned my gaze back to the women._

_Now they spoke in unison. "We are the highest ancients of the world you have entered, even if unwillingly and unknowingly. We are Kitsune, Dragon and Phoenix. Together we are fearsome enemies. We want you to know of us, the time has come. Creed must be trusted, he is our guardian. As he has been throughout time."_

_ "__What do you mean?" I was fighting hysterics. This was just a dream, naturally these women would know my name but who was this 'Creed' they spoke of?_

_ "__We cannot explain more. It is not safe. Creed will teach you."_

_ "__Who is he?"_

_ "__He will be revealed when the time is right."_

_The women and fog were disappearing. "WAIT! How will I know when the time is right?"_

_ "__You will know." Their voices were fading, then they were gone and I was alone once more._

I woke with a start, panting. Sweat beaded on my brow. Suddenly I could see in the dark and it was too hot under the blankets. I sat up and got out of bed, it felt like my blood was starting to boil. My back started to go stiff and it felt like something was pushing its way through my skin.

I dropped to the floor with a thud and started to convulse. The door opened and closed quickly and I knew I wasn't alone anymore. The stranger was kneeling beside me, speaking soothingly. I couldn't make out his words but I could feel one of his hands rubbing my back, right between my shoulder blades.

My heart was beating quickly and blood pounded in my ears. Whatever was happening to me, it ended just as quickly as it started. Though my blood still felt like it was boiling. Was it my dream that triggered this? I had so many questions and not enough answers.

I lay on the floor, still panting. I couldn't fight back sleep anymore, even with my inquisitive mind, finding myself drifting off to sleep.

**_I wasn't looking through my eyes anymore. At least, it didn't look like it. I was looking down at myself through someone else's eyes. My cheeks were flushed like I had a fever._**

**_ "_****_You're going to be ok…" I heard someone say. Wait, was I seeing through the strangers' eyes? It looked like he was still rubbing between my shoulder blades and it looked like I was enjoying it. I could be wrong and I hoped I was._**

When I opened my eyes again, the stranger was gone and the sun was peaking in through the window. I squinted till my eyes adjusted. Was it just me or did the sun look brighter? I raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. Packing my books into my pack, I left the room and headed for the kitchen.

I could smell bacon, eggs and toast as I entered the room and sat down. I wolfed down my hearty breakfast and was out the door. The weekend was coming up in two days. I had to make plans with Wendy and Wenry to head to the mall. I needed to get a laptop; it would help me organize my thoughts. As I walked to their house, I saw a black cat walk across the road before it turned its head to look at me. '_Creepy… I never noticed a cat walking around here before…_'

Soon, I was turning a corner and then walked down a drive way. I realized I've never really been to their house very often. I knocked on the door and waited.

"I'll get it…" Came a voice and then the door opened to reveal their younger brother. What was his name again? Travis?

"Um, hi… Is Wendy and Wenry ready?" I asked.

"Wendy, Wenry! It's your friend from school!" he called. "Kendra, isn't it?"

I nodded, talk about akward moments…

"Thought so… Looks like you're doing better…"

"Yeah…"

Suddenly, their little brother walked away and Wenry came into view. "Hey!"

I waved. "Sup?"

"We're almost ready… Hold on a sec." Then she was gone. A few moments later, she returned with Wendy behind her. We walked to the bus stop together. "So… You all better?"

"Yeah… Is something wrong?" I had a feeling I wasn't wanted today. Sigh.

"No … It's just… Well…"

"What?" I must be right, maybe I should go to the mall by myself today…

"No, it's nothing." Was it just me or did she sound weary?

I glanced at her. "Don't give me that… I can tell something's bothering you…"

They sighed. "We're worried about you… Alone most of the time with a gorgeous guy. He obviously has the hots for you!"

It was my turn to sigh, so I was partially right. She was weary of what I'd say or do but I was wanted. "Look… He may be living in the same house as me but that does NOT mean I like him. You guys wanna head to the mall after school? I'm sure I can find us a ride there and back."

"Sure" they said in unison.

That was the end of that conversation; we walked on in silence for a while. They were trying to start another conversation but then they would say nothing. My spirits were dampening by the minute today. At least I had something to look forward to after school today.

The bus came, picked us up and left. We didn't get a chance to talk again. The bus was dead silent and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. It was like I had become the talk of the town all of a sudden.

I sat alone today; clearly no one wanted to be near me if they could help it, even my two best friends… Was I scarier than usual today? I didn't know but I stared blankly out the window during the ride to school. Maybe I shouldn't have asked them to come to the mall with me today. Sure the weekend was coming up but I didn't want to wait.

At school, we got off and went to our lockers. Today, I didn't feel like going to the library, I wanted to be alone. So, I went to the roof and sat in the shade. The sun really did look brighter than usual. Though I guess I ended up skipping every class in a way. I didn't go back inside, I just sat on the roof and did todays work and ate lunch alone.

After school, I went in to find Wendy and Wenry. I found them by my locker. "Hey guys… Everything ok?"

"Where were you!?" they shouted together, clearly worried.

"S-sorry… I was on the roof… Guess I didn't hear the bell ring."

"I'd say… The bell is never heard up there. We told the teachers you were here somewhere."

"So, we going to the mall or do you have plans?"

They shared a look so I must be right. "Sorry, maybe some other time. We forgot that it's our little brother's birthday today…" Wendy said. '_Yeah right… Maybe they just don't want to hang with me today._'

"It's ok, I'll find a ride." I smiled. When they left, I put my books into my pack. I never had to worry about cleaning my locker; I always had those big binders that had pockets to put stuff I may need. I always made sure both binders had the same things so they were all I needed. I put my pack on my back and slammed the locker door shut.

I walked out of the building after making sure my locker was secure and then I went to the highway. Wenry must have told the driver I wasn't going home today, the buses were gone already. I started walking along the side of the highway when I heard a horn honk.

When I turned to look, I saw the stranger in one of those stylish sports cars. By the sound of the engine, I'd say it was 'pimped' out. It was black with red flames going along both sides. I sighed, looked both ways and walked across the road.

"What do you want?"

"I came to get you, isn't it obvious?"

"Yeah, well… I don't want to go home just yet."

"You want to go to the mall for something, right?" I must have given him a look because he didn't give me a chance to say anything. "Wenry told me… Hop in."

"I can find my own ride thank you very much…"

"I'm sure you could… However, I wouldn't be a very good guardian if I let you be reckless… Now would I?"

I sighed and crossed to the passenger side. It was clear that he wasn't going to let me win this one. "Fine…" I hoped in and closed the door.

He drove off down the highway; he clearly knew where I wanted to go because after half an hour, we pulled into a computer store. "So… what are you looking for?"

"Just wait here…" I exited the car and walked across the parking lot. Once I was inside the store, I went straight towards the laptop I've been keeping my eyes on for some time now.

It was a pretty black with a flame design on the back. It was the latest and greatest, I was desperate to get it. I've been saving my allowance for months now; I still wasn't near close enough to get it.

"Well, at least you have good taste in hardware…" a voice said behind me.

I whipped around and that was a mistake. I almost fell and I probably would have if the stranger hadn't been there to steady me. "I thought…"

He shushed me and slipped something into my pocket. "I know what you said but guardians don't stand by and do nothing."

I glared at him and turned back to the laptop I wanted. It was one of those extremely expensive laptops that had the best protections money had to buy; $2,500.99 was how much it cost; that also included all the expensive anti-virus and malware scans. I memorized it but that didn't stop me from looking at it from time to time.

When I looked over my shoulder, the stranger was gone. So, I continued to look at the laptop, when he came back, there was someone with him. "So, you'll have it ready for pick up tomorrow?" he asked the person.

"Yeah, sure thing."

I glared at him. '_What is he up to? What is he going to pick up tomorrow?_' He caught me glaring and waved. I pointedly looked somewhere else.

As we were about to leave, the stranger held me up. "Hold on Kendra…" I sighed with exasperation as he took my hand and practically dragged me towards the cell phone area. "Pick one out."

My jaw dropped open. "You serious?"

"Course I am." He smiled at me and gave me a look that said… 'Duh! What are you, stupid?'

So, I spent the next five minutes looking through the phones and settled on one that had a cool Cherry Blossom design on it. I knew mom would be furious if she knew what I was doing. After all, she had forbidden me from getting a cell phone while still in high school. This is why I was picking out one of those cute ones and a cute but cool key chain to go with it.

I got a look from the stranger but he didn't object. Though there were other designs that came with it. One was black with flames; another was purple with red and black designs. So it looked like a good deal to me. He got a package with the one I wanted and went to check out. I had a weird feeling he had a reason for doing this. When I got to the check out, he was almost ready to go.

"Do we have to register the phone before leaving?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, you do. Right this way." The cashier led us to a computer in the phone department and got us started. "Just let me know when you're done." Then she went to help another customer. I wasn't really paying attention, after taking one look at the screen, my mind went blank. So, I left this part up to the stranger.

"So… Is there a reason you're doing this for me?" I glanced sideways at him.

He side glanced at me. "Wither there is or not… is for me to know and for you to find out."

I glared at him. Why was he being so mysterious? He was clearly up to something; however I didn't get a chance to read what he was putting down. He was done too quickly and then he called the cashier over again.

"All done I see…" she said.

"Yes ma'am. All ready to cash out now."

"Very well." She looked between us, shrugged and led us to the register.

Once he was done, he led me out to the car. Once we got in, he programed a number into the phone and handed it to me. Everything else, I figured out on my own.

"Um…" I began.

"Yes?"

"How am I supposed to sneak this into the house? Mom's going to be pissed."

"Just say it's a gift for one of your friends."

"Uh-huh… She'll believe that after the Devil's lair freezes over."

He raised an eyebrow at me and started the car. "Then leave it to me." Then he drove out of the parking lot and headed for home. I was attaching the phone pouch to my pack, then checked out the number he programed in.

"Who's the number for?"

He cleared his throat. "A friend of mine, he's pretty cool to talk to. Once you get passed the perverted jokes." He side glanced at me briefly.

I didn't buy it, I had the suspicion the number was his. So he was going to keep tabs on me, huh? Well, two can play at that game. "So, I can talk to him right now?"

"Probably…"

"Cool… I think."

"Though he's probably busy at the moment…" a small smirk was on the corner of his lips. "I'll be starting work tonight. Tomorrow, I have to pick up a few things." He glanced sideways at me again.

I was staring out the window blankly now, the cell was in its pouch. "I see…" I could have cared less but whatever floats his boat. "So… What was that in the store?"

"What was what?" he glanced at me.

"You were talking to someone in the store." I looked at him seriously.

"I think you're imagining things…" he focused on the road ahead.

"You said you would pick something up there tomorrow." I glared at him.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I have some equipment to pick up to send to my employers."

"Lies…" I was looking out the window again.

"So…"

"So?" I looked at him again, though I think I was scowling now.

"I noticed that you don't get along very well with Darlene… Something going on there?"

"Aside from her not caring? Tch…"

'_I thought so… She isn't stupid about that…_' He was silent for a time. "Do you like ice cream?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Only when watching movies but then it depends on the movie…"

"What kind of movies do you like?"

I scoffed, was he really trying to learn more about me? "Action, romance, thrill, adventure… Sometimes fantasies…" His eyes brightened. So maybe he liked some of the genres I listed. He might be cooler than I originally thought.

"I know a movie you might like then…"

"Oh really?" I doubted it.

"Yup… If you want, we can watch it this evening…"

"Maybe another time…" Was it just me or was he really whispering? If he was whispering, it sounded more like he was talking normally… So was my hearing better or something?

"Sure…" We drove in silence now; I was looking out the window again. My eyes began to droop until I saw we were turning down my road and into the driveway.

He pulled into the driveway and we got out. I went inside covering a yawn and went straight to bed. I could hardly keep my eyes open, so I went straight to bed. I heard the stranger walk into the kitchen and sit at the table, the rest was incoherent to me.

He must be explaining something to mom but I couldn't make out his words. I was so tired that I fell asleep when my head fell onto the pillow. I woke in the middle of the night and rubbed sleep from my eyes. I didn't know why I woke up, so I got up and headed for the kitchen. When I got there, I saw the stranger standing by that machine of his.

I tried to focus but I found it hard. Though I think I noticed he was eating a cookie, one of those inch thick looking rice crispies cookies. I shook my head and went to the cupboard to get a glass and then I filled it with milk, chugged it and sat the glass in the sink.

Then I headed back to my room, or at least I went to. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You ok?"

"Mhm, just needed a drink…" I sounded bleary.

He turned me around to face him. He was wearing those clothes again, those loose fitting black ones he wore in the forest. Was his job killing people? He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. Not the lips, was that really what I was expecting after I flinched away last time? '_Wait… Why was I hoping to be kissed by him?_'

When he turned to go, I grabbed his hand. He looked back at me and I let go. "S-sorry… Um… I'm going to bed now…" Then I retreated to my room, he was staring after me. When I got to my room, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. '_What was that just now? Why is my heart pounding like this? I can't have feelings for him… I just… can't._'

He left the house; I couldn't sleep so I went and sat on the couch in my usual place. I realized that the stranger had been living with us for almost an entire month now. Did we even know what his name was? Surely mom should know or she wouldn't let him stay with us… It was close to dawn when he returned. I was still on the couch, though I must have fallen asleep at some point. He put a blanket over me and sat in the chair.

I rolled onto my side so my back was to him and I mumbled something. He looked over at me but didn't move from the chair. I must have been having one heck of a dream, I was mumbling more. Though the only thing he really caught was… "No… It's my pizza, go get your own…" which made him chuckle. My eyes opened and I couldn't remember what I was dreaming but now I was craving pizza.

"Have a good sleep?" he asked.

"Huh?" I rubbed sleep from my eyes and looked over at him. "Oh… Yup."

"What were you dreaming about?" Was he laughing at me?

"I don't remember…"

We didn't get a chance to really talk, mom came into the kitchen. She got herself a cup of coffee and some breakfast. So I slipped into my room and the stranger went to bed.

Now that the stranger was in bed, I felt really tired. I took a nap and before I knew it, I over slept and missed the bus. It was going on 9:30 A.M. now, at least that's what the clock said. So, instead of worrying about it, I went into the kitchen and got something to eat.

Mom and John were nowhere in sight, so it looked like I had the run of the house. After breakfast, I went into the living room and turned the TV on and sat on the couch in my usual place. That's when I remembered that I wasn't completely alone in the house; the stranger was sleeping in the guest room.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" came that smooth, yet deep voice of his.

"Your point being?" I challenged.

"My point being the question." He rubbed the back of his head with a hand. "You should be at school right now unless it's one of those holidays or something, which I doubt."

I turned to glare at him and instantly looked away again. He just had to be shirtless. I changed the channel with the remote. "Does it matter? I already know what we're doing in class today, it's not like I really have to be there."

I could hear the fridge open; he must be getting something to eat. Then I heard the door close. Through the corner of my eye, I could see him sit in the chair and fix me with a piercing green gaze. What was he searching for? I didn't know, I started flipping through the channels but couldn't find anything of interest.

"Do you want me to leave?"

The question caught me off guard and I found myself meeting his piercing emerald eyes. "I… don't know."

He looked away to stare out the window. "Would you be sad if I left?"

I could feel my heart begin to pound. What was this feeling? I lifted my hand to wipe at my eyes. Tears? Why was I crying? "What are you saying?"

This time he turned to look at me and his eyes softened. "It's a simple question." Before I knew it, he was sitting next to me, still looking at me.

I turned the TV off, got up and went to the window. "Why…"

"Why what?"

I turned to face him with tears in my eyes. "Why am I so confused around you?" I fell to my knees and hid my face in my hands. He was kneeling in front of me an instant latter. "I hate you… don't I?"

This is where he surprised me; he pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear. "How you feel is something you must discover on your own. I can't help you but I can guild you."

The next thing I know, I'm sitting in the living room alone. The door opened and closed quickly and then an engine came to life. I couldn't figure out why I felt so empty as I just sat there. His car left the driveway and then he was off down the road.

I felt so numb that I couldn't tell I was moving until I was already on my bed with the door closed. I didn't know what was happening to me, it was like I was coming apart at the seams. The next thing I know, I'm fast asleep.

_I was walking down a hall at first but when I heard a loud crash behind me, I found myself running for my life. Where was I? This place was nowhere I knew, that was for sure. Maybe I was in a building in the country or maybe somewhere in the city. I didn't know but I felt like I had to escape._

_Just as quickly as this place came into being, it was gone and I was standing alone in darkness. There was a gentle breeze and I could smell herbs and roses. That's when I heard the voices._

_ "__Shh, we aren't alone anymore sisters. Is the tea ready yet?" it sounded like the fox lady. What was her name? Kitsune?_

_ "__You shouldn't go all out to impress this child." Said Phoenix._

_ "__Stop your bickering! She is the one Creed has chosen." Said Dragon._

_ "__Shut your trap! She can hear us, you dolt!" said Phoenix._

_ "__What does that matter? She has a right to know, she IS our vessel after all." Said Kitsune. Then an invisible door opened and I could see them sitting at a table. "Come in dear."_

_I found myself walking into the room shivering, I still didn't trust them. Looking around the room, I could see that I was standing in a kind of kitchen and living room. The place looked cozy. I boldly walked to the table and sat in the only available chair._

_ "__What do you want this time?" I looked at them in turn, starting with Phoenix. My gaze fixed on Kitsune in the end; she seemed the nicest of the three._

_ "__Tea?" inquired Kitsune. She poured tea into a mug that appeared in front of me when I nodded. "What do you want?"_

_I sniffed the tea and took a sip. It tasted wonderful, a perfect blend of herbs. I found myself calming instantly. "I don't know…"_

_Phoenix didn't seem to like me very much though. She only harrumphed and looked away. Dragon was the one that spoke next. "What are you confused about? Perhaps we can help you."_

_ "__In exchange for what?" There was an edge to my voice this time. I didn't see how my feelings were any of their business._

_ "__You don't trust us, that's fine. We can't blame you for that." It was Kitsune that spoke, she looked a little hurt but she understood. "We have yet to connect with you. Until then, we can only do guess work." She shot Phoenix a meaningful glare._

_I took another sip of tea. "Let me get this straight… The three of you are mere spirits, right?"_

_ "__That is correct. We are spirits of our former selves, though we still have our sparks." Said Kitsune._

_ "__So then why do you need to connect with me? Can't you do that by force?"_

_ "__Yes, if we wanted to do you harm and kill off our link to your world." Said Dragon._

_ "__I see… So you need to connect on a certain level right? Like, emotionally and mentally…"_

_ "__In a sense… Though to do anything like that, we have to be able to understand you. Just as you need to understand us. We can harm you in no way without severing our link to reason and to your world."_

_I drank my tea in silence; it was making me feel relaxed. As relaxed as I felt, I still didn't trust them fully. How did I know they weren't demons that just wanted to control me? They did say that I had been chosen… Chosen for what?_

_ "__Um…" I began._

_All three of them looked at me now; Phoenix looked more like she was glaring at me. I shrank back. My cup was refilled and I took a sip. They were looking at me expectantly._

_ "__What exactly was I chosen for? I mean… um…" I gulped down the tea and slipped further away from the table. "Shouldn't I have a choice in my future?"_

_ "__You do have a choice. You were chosen to be our vessel, what you do now is up to you." Kitsune said, examining me. "Wait…" she sniffed the air in my direction. "I smell roses coming from you Kendra. Have you perhaps fallen in love?"_

_I looked away quickly. Was it written on my face? "N-no… O-of course not!"_

_Kitsune giggled. "Don't lie to me. I can tell you are. It must be Creed. He will be revealed tonight."_

_The scene around me faded away before I could even object. I was alone in darkness once more._

I woke with a start. I was still alone and I could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen. It was much too quiet; I looked towards my backpack at the cell phone pouch. I had to talk to him, make sure he wasn't leaving.

I got up and crossed the room to take out the phone. Opening it up, I turned it on. Then I looked up the number and pressed the talk button. It rang a few times and then someone answered.

"Hello?" it was his voice.

"Um…" wrong idea, I hung up. '_Oh common! It's just the stranger… Why can't I talk to him!?'_

I sat at the desk and brought out a book. I started to read when the cell rang, so I looked at the number and answered. "H-hello?"

"Kendra… did you call me?" it was the stranger.

"N-no… I was reading…"

"Aren't you a rotten liar." He teased. "Do you miss my charm?"

"Well isn't someone full of themselves."

"'Course not! Not my fault someone fell for my obvious charms."

I was glad he wasn't home; he can't see that I'm blushing. "You have a big ego…"

He chuckled. "So, what did you need?"

"N-nothing! I was just… testing the phone."

"Right, do I have to use tactics on you to get the truth?"

"Go stuff a sock down your throat…" I was definitely glad he wasn't near me. I knew he'd be grinning and laughing.

"Ouch, that would hurt. Hold on. I'm picking something up for someone." With that, he hung up.

The hours rolled by and the silence was killing me. Around 1:30 PM, I heard his car pull into the drive way. I could barely stop myself from running to the door to wait for him to enter.

When he walked to the door and saw me, he smiled warmly and walked in. "Well, this is a warm welcome." He teased as he closed the door behind him.

"Oh shut up…" I said, glaring at him. "I still hate you…"

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Sure you do."

I looked away and then I noticed that he was carrying another package. "I suppose that's for whoever you work for?" I asked resentfully.

"You'll find out soon enough." Then he was going down the hall to the guest room.

Puzzled, I looked down the hall towards the guest room, the door was closed. I started to make myself something to eat. Turns out I ended up making lunch for both myself and the stranger. Before I knew it, I was heading down the hall and knocking on the door of the guest room.

"Yes?" came the reply.

"Um… Lunch is ready…" I didn't wait for him to open the door; I was already heading back down the hall to the kitchen. A slight blush was on my cheeks.

The stranger came into the kitchen as I was setting the table. I put the food on the table and took my share. I sat in my usual place at the table; he took the seat next to me.

"So, you made this yourself, eh?" he asked teasingly.

"Just shut it…" I said and took a mouthful, it tasted horrible. '_I am never cooking again…_'

He took a bite and I couldn't help but glance at him through the corner of my eye. He didn't make a comment but I could tell he had the same thought as I did. I glanced away when he looked at me. Did he know I'd been watching him?

"So… You didn't answer my question on the phone." He stated casually.

I swallowed too hard and had to cough. When the coughing subsided, I spoke. "Um… Wh-what question?"

"What did you want?" he seemed to be watching me closely now.

I avoided eye contact and looked towards the door. "I didn't want anything…"

"Don't give me that." He leaned towards me and whispered next to my ear. "I could tell something was bothering you."

I slammed my fist on the table and pushed back my chair. "Nothing's bothering me!" I glared at him and stormed off to my room.

He cleared the table, washed the dishes and put them away. "God, I love classic responses." He chuckled.

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day. The stranger stayed in the guest room for a while and then he went into the living room. As evening came, mom and John came home. I could hear a small conversation and then a knock sounded on my door.

"What!?" I turned to face the door; sure that it was the stranger.

"Come out of there this instant! We need to talk." It was my mother.

With a sigh, I went into the living room and sat as far from the stranger as I could. I glared out the window. The stranger sat in the chair, his focus on me with those piercing eyes of his. Mom sat on the other end of the couch.

"What's going on?" mom asked.

"Nothing that concerns you…" I said with scorn.

The stranger kept silent for a time and then he got up and left the room. "I'm not going to be great at conversation."

Mom went to say something but the stranger was already gone. "I hope you're happy young lady." Then she got up and left the room as well.

"So much for a 'talk.'" I got up and went outside to do some work in the garden. I pulled weeds and vegetables for over an hour when I heard the door open and close.

"You should go inside before you catch a cold."

"What's it to you if I do? What do you care?"

I was turned around by a hand on my shoulder and found myself face to face with the stranger. "Wither you like it or not, Kendra, I do care. I'm here to guard you, to keep you safe from harm." He was looking at me with those piercing emerald eyes.

"I don't need a babysitter! I can take care of myself!" I looked away; he was the last person I wanted to talk to right now.

Before I knew it, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I was stunned and my heart was pounding. When he pulled back to see my reaction, he smiled warmly. "Take care of that then." He grinned.

"I… You…"

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You know perfectly well what!"

"Do I?" he asked innocently.

"Don't act innocent! Damn you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." His grin broadened.

I stormed away without a word, carrying a few veggies with me and left him in the semi-darkness. It may have been what he wanted from the start but I didn't care. I sat the veggies in the sink and then went and locked myself in my room. I didn't come out till it was time to eat. Though I did notice that it was storming out again, John was going to have a bit of trouble getting to sleep later on.

Just as we were finishing our meal, there was a knock at the door. I went and answered it, the guy I had fought before was standing there in the pouring rain. I was shocked; I had always thought he was joking when he said that he knew where I lived…

**Chapter 4: Creed Revealed**

"What are you doing here?" I asked sheepishly.

"I'm here to speak with Creed." He stated.

Mom stepped forward. "There is no one with that name staying here."

The stranger cleared his throat, when everyone was looking at him, he spoke up. "That'd be me." We all stared at him in disbelief and he chuckled. "I've been staying with you for almost a month now and you didn't figure out who I am 'till now? That's just sad."

"Why didn't you say anything!" I shouted.

"You didn't ask…" Creed stated.

"That's beside the point!"

"You could have asked…" he stated.

Mom and John went into the living room, I was dragged along. "Do you know why I'm here Creed?" the goth man asked.

"I'd be interested to find out." Said Creed.

"I'm here to inform you that you have an important job. The higher-ups wanted to make sure you got it."

Creed nodded and crossed the room to the machine he had brought home some time ago. Then he produced a black card with smoke designs from a pocket. It looked like a card assassins used and then it clicked in our minds.

"Y-you're an assassin?" it was mom that spoke.

"That's right." He stated matter-of-factly.

I stepped forward a few paces as he swiped the card through a slot. A light flashed in the machine and went out, when he opened the door; he produced a package of cookies. One of those packages you get from a package of six individually wrapped ones. I gawked at him.

"What?" he asked me.

"I… I saw you eat one of those before… Does it have something to do with your job?"

He didn't answer me at first, though he did pull me closer and then pressed me against the wall just out of sight of the door. He opened the package and whispered to me. "I'll show you. Close your eyes Kendra."

I couldn't help the small blush on my cheeks. "Why should I?"

"Just close your eyes…" he sounded impatient and held up a cookie.

This time I closed my eyes and felt him press the cookie to my lips. "Take a bite." He whispered. "Tell me what you see quietly."

I could feel his breath on my cheek as I took a bite of the cookie, chewed and swallowed. It was like I was no longer in my body…

**_I was standing in a warehouse now, a pier warehouse as a matter of fact. I could tell by the crates and beams and the way the building creaked. I was whispering everything down to the last detail to Creed in my body. Then I saw a bulky man with his back to me, I crept to the side to see a woman tied to a chair. She had pretty, long light brown hair and fair skin; her eyes looked like they were a chocolate brown. She was wearing jeans and a red t-shirt, naturally she looked scared._**

******_The man in front of her was rather cruel looking and wore a black over coat to hide his clothes and most of his skin. All I could see of him was neat black hair and an evil look in his eyes. Suddenly, the man turned to look in my direction._**

**_ "_****_Who's there!?" the man called with a nasty sneer._**

"Open your eyes…" Creed ordered.

"But he can't see me… can he?"

"Open your eyes!" he hissed. My eyes flashed open to see his face close to mine. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't look away. "You did well Kendra."

"What was that?" I asked in awe.

"I can't explain right now… It's my job."

"How careless of you Creed, it's not like you to involve someone else." Stated the man at the door.

"That's none of your business, Vincent."

"Whatever… It won't be my neck they come after if they find out." With that, Vincent was gone.

My eyes were locked on Creed and my heart felt like it was melting, it felt so warm and light. Creed met my eyes and then he smiled at me. I could hardly believe my luck and I had to wonder if this is what I wanted. I had to know for myself but now wasn't the time.

All the same, he leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "I'll be back." He said, then he was out the door and heading down town.

I stood were I was, stunned and confused. Part of me felt like this was a mistake but I ignored it. I finally realized how I felt, I loved him. Mom and John were still in the living room, they were just as stunned as I was. I don't think they liked having Creed around anymore but I was so sure of my feelings. If he was no longer welcome, I wanted to leave with him.

Hours had passed, I was in my room and lying on my bed, I couldn't sleep a wink. When I heard the door open and close, I looked at the clock. It was midnight; I could hear the chimes in the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, the door to my room opened and closed.

Even without looking, I knew it was Creed. I felt him sit on the bed beside me. "You awake?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep…" I replied, "Something you need?"

"I have a present for you." He waited for me to sit up. "It was what I was picking up today…" he looked away like he was embarrassed.

"Oh…" I opened the package that he slipped onto my lap. "What is it?"

"You'll see… I know you'll like it."

I looked down and saw that it was the laptop I had been staring at the other day. I was almost speechless. "You didn't have to…"

"I know but I did anyways." He said, taking the laptop and sitting it on the desk. Then he sat beside me again and rested one of his hands on mine.

I looked into his eyes for a moment and then I looked away. In that instant, he pushed me down on the bed and loomed over me, which made me look into his eyes again. I could feel one of his hands rub against my stomach under my shirt, I couldn't help but blush.

"O-oi…" I began.

He stopped me by placing a finger on my lips. "I know I'm pushing my luck." I knew he was smiling; he took his finger from my lips.

"You enjoy teasing me, don't you?" I asked, though I knew his answer without him saying anything.

His smile grew and he sat beside the bed. "Get some sleep, you must be tired." He held one of my hands in his.

I slowly fell asleep to Creed humming softly. In the morning, I woke up feeling well rested. Creed was already in the kitchen when I left my room and went to get breakfast. I sat in my usual place at the kitchen table and ate some eggs and toast.

**'****This was after I realized that I had feelings for Creed. It was the moment he kissed me; it felt like my heart was melting inside me. You know those chick flick movies where the main couple has a moment that you can't help but feel their love and be envious of? It was one of those moments for me, I felt like the luckiest person alive.'**

I avoided looking at Creed; I knew my reaction would only make him tease me. When I finished eating, I put my dishes in the sink and went into my room again to get dressed. Luckily, it was Saturday, I didn't have to go anywhere and I could goof off if I wanted to.

I would have fallen asleep again if I hadn't noticed the laptop on the desk. I sat down in the chair and began to set it up. That took me about an hour to do, when I finished, I looked through all the options I had.

"Do you like it?" a voice behind me.

I turned around to see Creed in the doorway, silhouetted against the hall lights. I nodded, I loved the laptop.

He smiled at me and walked into my room. I was facing the laptop again, my back to Creed. I felt his arms go around me and I could feel his warm breathon my ear as he whispered. "Is my presence detestable to you? I know you must have a lot of questions for me…"

I leaned against him. "I never said that…"

He smiled and turned the chair around so that I faced him. Then he leaned over me, looking me in the eyes. I don't know what was going to happen next, my heart was pounding and I couldn't help but stare into his eyes. He leaned forward and I felt my eyes close, then a knock sounded at the door.

Startled, he all but jumped away from me; we turned to see who was at the door. John was looking in at us. '_Oh my god, now of all times!? He has the worst timing in the world!_' Annoyance showed on my face.

"Yes?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.

He just stared at us for a moment, then walked over to me. "This came for you…" he dropped a brown envelope in my lap and hurried out, it was like he sensed danger.

I looked down at the envelope and tore it open, finding some pretty high tech stuff inside it. I didn't remember ordering anything like this, Creed looked out the window as if taking a sudden interest in the sky beyond. I side glanced at him, shook my head and took out the note inside.

_Kendra,_

_I know how much you like tech programs, so I hope you enjoy these ones. I think you'll find that they'll come in handy in a few days. Install them with caution though, they belong to my employers. Well, I made them but they sell them._

_Creed_

I shot him a piercing look. I could see the sweat trickle down the side of his face, so I squinted my eyes. He risked a look my way but that was a mistake, he couldn't look away. It was like my eyes had him hooked.

Without taking my eyes off him, I sat the envelope and its contents on the desk beside the laptop. "Start talking…" I said in a warning tone.

"I…" he tried to look away, failed and gulped. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

I stood and backed him into the corner. "Don't give me that… Why give me programs that belong to your employers?" I hovered my face a few inches away from his.

He simply stared into my eyes, his mouth hung open. Realizing I had him cornered and hovering close to him, he knew he couldn't get away. "You'll find out…"

I wasn't going to stand for a vague answer this time. "I'd rather sooner than later…"

I couldn't stop my heart from pounding; I had a feeling I was going to need much persuasion to get an answer from him. Still keeping my eyes on him, I went and closed my bedroom door and locked it. Once that was done, I returned to the corner he was in and took his hand in mine.

He broke eye contact then to stare at our hands before his gaze returned to mine. I pulled him with me as I walked backwards to sit on my bed. Tugging on his arm, I made him sit beside me, the whole time I kept eye contact with him. He gulped again, I think he knew what was coming next but he was helpless to stop it from happening.

I turned so that I was sitting in his lap, still facing him. Then I pushed against his shoulders, forcing him to lie down on the bed and I hovered over him. It was my turn to be mean to him.

I leaned down and whispered in his ear, my warm breath dancing across his skin. "Tell me…"

He shivered, his cheeks flushing. "I…t-tell you what?" he gulped; clearly he knew what I was doing.

Still I whispered in his ear, making my breath dance across his skin again. "What was I chosen for exactly?"

He shivered again and closed his eyes but not before I could see desperation. "I…" he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I can't tell you… I-it's not my place to…"

Maybe it was too soon to have those kinds of answers but there were some I knew were most important right now. I hovered my lips just out of reach of his, letting the warmth of my breath dance against them as I spoke. "How deeply do you feel for me?"

He opened his eyes and gave a startled gasp, I could feel his arms go around my waist in an attempt to pull me closer, "v-very deeply…"

I looked into his pleading eyes but I had more questions for him. I couldn't give up before I got all my answers from him, the ones he'd give me at least. "Where did you come from?"

"I t-traveled many days to get here… Before I came here, I was in Texas. From there, I went to Australia for a few weeks, then my employers sent me here." He swallowed hard. "You don't have to use tactics on me to get these answers… I'd tell you anything."

I looked deeper into his eyes, he wasn't lying. I think he knew I'd get my answers sooner or later anyways, though I wasn't going to take chances. "Why?"

He looked into my eyes and I could feel him squirm a bit. "I was contacted a few days before I came here from Australia… something to do with 'The Chosen One' and the time becoming right." He was struggling for words. "I convinced my employers to send me here."

I faltered, which I shouldn't have, and it gave him enough time to flip us over. Now he was on top of me, one of his legs rested between mine. I blushed and wondered if this was how he felt, confused and flustered.

He grinned at me, leaned down and kissed me. Then he moved his face away, hovering his lips just out of my reach. "My turn…" he whispered. "What was troubling you when I left to pick up the laptop?"

It was my turn to gulp; I could feel his breath on my lips. "I… I d-don't know…" I was struggling to control my thoughts.

"I think you do…" he whispered. "Please tell me."

I couldn't think, his scent was intoxicating to me and yet I couldn't force my gaze away from his piercing green eyes. "I…" A tear ran down my temple, saying 'I was afraid you weren't coming back' would be saying too much.

It turned out I didn't have to say anything, he wiped the tear away before it could disappear into my hair. He let himself hover closer to me. He whispered teasingly. "Would you have missed my charm and stunning good looks?"

That did it, I couldn't listen to him tease me. So I did what I knew would get him to shut his mouth for a while. Leaning towards him, I pressed my lips against his. It was a stunned silence from him, hovering there with our lips pressed firmly together. Then he kissed me back, our hearts pounding steadily and rather fast at the same time. I could feel warmth spread through my veins, could feel his warmth seeping into me.

Then I pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Shush…" I whispered. In his stunned silence that followed, I flipped us so that I was on top of him once more.

Shaking off his reverie, he stared into my eyes. "O-oi… that's not playing fair Kendra…"

It was my turn to grin at him, and whisper teasingly. "I didn't hear you complaining. Besides, all's fair in love and war." I leaned down and kissed him again.

He chuckled, kissing me back. Then he pulled back. "Just remember that this works both ways…"

"Just remember… teasing works both ways too." I shot back.

He laughed at that. "Your powers of reasoning haven't changed at all…"

I shot him a look. "You still didn't tell me why you wanted me to have programs from your employers…"

"Heh…" He gulped. "Y-you'll find out… " I could tell he wanted a way out and I wasn't about to hand him one.

I pressed a leg between his. "Tell me…"

He took in a sharp breath and let out a soft groan. "Th-that's not fair… I can't…"

I sighed, realizing he wasn't about to tell me anything. I don't think it mattered if I tried harder or not… I guess I had no other choice but to find out for myself. Leaving him on my bed, I went to download the programs he gave me on my new laptop.

The installing only took a few moments. I opened the main program up to find that it was not only a special hacking program but a program to prevent my laptop from being hacked. If that was even possible, I didn't know… All I could do was stare at the screen and I could see Creed grinning at me through the corner of my eye.

"So?" he said casually.

"What on earth would I need a hacking program for!?" I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned by this. It made me feel like something in my life was changing… Something far worse than the way my body has been acting recently.

He obviously saw the look on my face because he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. I felt one of his arms slip away and his hand automatically went to rub between my shoulder blades to comfort me. Before I could close my eyes, I saw something pop up on the screen.

**'****Little did I know that I was about to meet Creed's employers. Before I continue, let me tell a little about them. They keep their faces hidden in shadows… So it's impossible to say who they are or be able to find them… Well, you wouldn't be able to find them if they didn't invite you to their estate. When they want to talk to you, they contact you. Otherwise, good luck getting an audience with them. When they contact you through computer, all you can see of them is their rich tycoon suits; sometimes they wear leather jackets over a black shirt. This is all I know about them…'**

Without thinking, I clicked on the pop up. Before I knew it, I saw three vague figures on the screen. All I could really make out of them were suits. The kind of suits you'd see the rich tycoons wear in movies and old T.V shows. I couldn't help but stare, thinking of the three spirits that contacted me in my head.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked timidly.

The figure on the left waged a finger at me, reprimanding me… "Who we are is of little importance… for now." said the figure in the middle.

I opened my mouth to say something else but the figure on the right put a hand up to silence me, I closed my mouth again. "Creed…" the figure on the left said in greeting. "Is this the girl you spoke of to us?"

I didn't know what was going on, who were these people and how did they know me and Creed!? Before I could blurt my questions… "She is…" Creed stated, his arm around my waist tightened slightly.

"I see… We wish to speak with her… alone." The one in the middle spoke again.

Creed nodded, leaned down and whispered in my ear. "It'll be ok… They can't hurt you, not with me around you."

He made to leave but I grabbed hold of his hand, stopping him. I'm pretty sure he could feel my fingers trembling, he squeezed mine gently. However, Creed still left the room.

During this brief moment, the men on the screen said nothing. I continued to stare at them for a moment, waiting. "What do you want with me?" I asked finally.

"I'm sure you know in your head what we want…" said the man on the right.

"However, that is not why we're here." The man in the middle stated, shooting a look to the man on the right.

I must have looked confused and weary, for it was the man on the left that spoke now. "We have a question to ask you and we'd like for you to answer honestly."

That got my attention. "I-I'll try…" I sat up a little straighter, thinking that I'd look a little more intimidating.

"We…" the man in the middle spoke, indicating himself and his colleagues, "would like to ask a rather simple question. Before we ask, however, I'd like to know what you know about assassins."

"Not much… just that assassins like to wear outfits that are easy to move around in."

"I see… On to our question then, since assassins usually work in pairs. We'd like to ask if you would consider joining up with our organization."

I had noticed that it was a statement, not really a question. All the same, I gave it some thought. "What exactly would I be doing the majority of the time? I'm nothing more than a teenager in high school after all, not a trained assassin."

"You will be keeping to your studies and playing the role of healer. A package should be arriving for you within the week. We're well aware of the fact Creed gave you an introduction to his work. You will apply assistance if and when it's required of you, nothing more."

I couldn't help but stare more. So I wasn't being given a choice in the matter… None at all, just a small explanation of what they expected of me and nothing more. I couldn't help feeling this wasn't fair and I'm sure it showed on my face.

"This isn't the choice I'd have made… I can see I'm not given a choice in the matter at all. I'm no assassin, I'm no healer… I'm just an average high school student! What makes you think I want this!?"

"It's either you join us or you and your family will die. All trace of you will no longer exist. Should you survive your assassination, you won't be able to prove who you are or that you were even born."

I saw them cringe; I must have had a very nastily cold look on my face just then. "What makes you think I care about the people living with me? I'm supposed to automatically care about a couple people just because they look after me?" I gave a dry laugh. "Well you can guess again, I could care less about them!"

I didn't wait for a reply, I shut the laptop with a slamming thud. I heard Creed come back into the room but I sat there in silence. Before I had a chance to resist, I was pulled into a hug and felt his arms tighten around me.

"You ok?" he asked, he knew I wasn't. Who in their right mind would be ok with someone picking what they would be doing for their lives? I kept silent and shook my head. I felt his fingers run through my hair. "Everything's gonna be alright, I promise."

We stayed like that for a while, me in his arms. We didn't speak for a few moments. I broke the silence… "They want me to be a healer… I know nothing of healing…"

He lifted my chin and looked me in the eyes. "They want you to be my healer Kendra. Assassin history states that we didn't always have our own personal healers; we had to learn to heal ourselves or be damned to worsen our own injuries… Being a healer isn't all that bad…" I must have made a face because he continued, "Kendra… I'd be honored if you would be my healer, very honored."

I'm sure I was blushing now. "B-but…" I didn't get to finish, he placed a finger on my lips. "Please?" he whispered, drawing me closer.

I groaned in frustration. "Fine, I'll try…"

He grinned. "There's more to being a healer then wounds. The rest of the package you already have… Tomorrow we start training for real. I'm hoping that by the time we're done, you'll have the same fast reflexes I have."

I shot him a quizzical look. "What do you mean by fast reflexes?"

"Come now Kendra, there will be times when I won't be physically fit to do my job… There will be times when you'll have to take my place for an assignment." He said.

"B-but… I don't know the first thing about being a healer or an assassin… What if I…?" I didn't get to finish my question.

He kissed me tenderly to silence me. "I'll teach you Kendra… Do you trust me?"

I looked at him funny, like he was crazy for asking such a question. "Of course I do… but what if I'm not cut out for this job?"

He laughed. "Not cut out for the job!? Kendra, YOU wrote the book about the job. You wrote the early histories of assassination, healing and how they came together. You're more than cut out for the job." He rubbed my back soothingly and kissed me affectionately.

I kissed him back, finding myself relaxing in his arms. I rested my head on his chest and listened to the steady beating of his heart and I found myself slowly falling asleep.

When I woke up, I was tucked into bed. I couldn't see Creed but I knew he was still there. Shifting a little, I felt a weight tighten around my waist. I looked and saw an arm draped around me; I followed the arm with my eyes and saw Creed lying just behind me.

A blush rose on my cheeks as I stared at him, a grin slowly formed on his face. I wondered how long I'd been asleep for when I noticed that one of his eyes were open and looking at me. I jumped, which earned a chuckle from him.

"Don't scare me like that!" I hit the bed in front of him before lying down again in exaggerated exasperation.

"I didn't think you got scared." he whispered teasingly in my ear.

I glared at him. "That isn't the point here… I thought you were asleep…"

He chuckled. "I'm a light sleeper; you on the other hand are a deep sleeper."

I shifted away from him a little. "I'm not a deep sleeper…"

He pulled me back against him with his arm around my waist, the blush returning to my cheeks. "I won't lay here and argue with you." He snuggled his head into the pillow, pulling me closer to him. When I looked at him again, his eyes were closed. "Lay down and sleep… it's almost midnight."

"I'm not tired…" I whispered but I did lay my head down again.

I got no reply from him and when I looked, he was fast asleep. I eased out of his grasp, unable to fall asleep and sat in front of the desk. Opening the laptop, I started to work.

When morning came, I was still sitting at the desk typing away. I felt arms drape over my shoulders and Creed's head on mine. "Been up long?" he yawned. I shook my head, we both knew it was a lie. "What're you working on anyways?"

"Just working through the laptop…"

"Oh? Discovered something interesting?"

"Only that I could make a better one… this laptop is good, don't get me wrong… its just…"

"Just…?" I knew he was probing for what I had wanted to say. I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Are you mocking me?" I asked indignantly.

"Of course not!" he answered, amusement still in his voice. I decided to ignore him now as I searched through the program I had installed last night. I had to know what it was and how well it worked. He chuckled, "I can see you know what you're doing. Testing how well it all works, hmm?"

I pressed against him and shivered a bit in answer. He was content in offering his warmth while he watched. Every now and again, I heard him whistle softly or chuckle.

A pop-up appeared on the screen, telling me I had an incoming message. Ignoring it, I continued searching through the program. Then I realized something and let out a gasp. "It's a hacking program, isn't it!?"

I hear him chuckle, "yes, it is." Then he frowned. "You're not going to answer that, are you?" I shook my head, unwilling to speak. I knew it must be those men I spoke to last night, they were rude and I didn't like them very much. "I'll answer it then, you get some sleep. You look tired enough to fall out of that chair."

I couldn't argue, I probably looked like I hadn't slept at all last night. So I let him help me into bed and fell asleep. While I slept, Creed sat at the desk and answered the incoming message. If I had been awake, I would have known I was right about the men from last night but I wasn't awake.

**Chapter 3: The Job**

**'****This is where things took a nasty turn… well, sort of. Creed had received a mission from his bosses while I slept peacefully. I won't say much of what he told me, you'll find out for yourselves shortly. He was to do recon work, which he complained about because he isn't a recon type of person. We're almost back at the beginning. Three weeks have passed, even though the days seem to be blurred together.'**

"Creed, were is the girl?" the one in the middle asked.

"She's sleeping right now. Had a late night as you can imagine…" he replied.

They simply nodded, wither or not they understood the right meaning, I will never know. "We have a job for you then."

Creed raised an eyebrow. "What kind of job?"

"Details will be received by that device shortly. The subject of the job was in confinement here with us but he recently escaped and is headed your way. We believe he's meeting an old contact in the port in warehouse 17. It is your job to have the pier under surveillance and report your findings straight back to us."

He groaned. "Why can't Vincent do it?"

There was a brief pause. "Vincent is there?"

"Not with me no but I have seen him in town. If I recall, he was sent here on a mission to train someone."

"Indeed he was. If he isn't still around, he'll be on his way back for another assignment. You will continue with his training mission Creed, it is important she learn what is needed as soon as possible. If Vincent is still in the vicinity, keep an eye on him."

He nodded. "I understand. Is that all?"

"For now, yes." With that, they were gone from the screen. Another pop-up showed on the screen shortly afterward, a file had been sent with the data Creed had been told about.

He saved the file to the laptop and quickly looked over it. I woke sometime later to find Creed gone. I didn't feel fully rested but I was rested enough. So I went to the kitchen for something to eat before returning to my room.


End file.
